Moses Specht’s Oregon Hotel History (Cont.)
“Mullie”, and later Jim and Doris Gillespie ran the place as the “Main Street Hotel” from 1951 to 1974, when Hubert Aurand took it over and changed the name to the “Brass Rail Inn”. When Hubert was killed in an auto accident in January 1976, his wife Vickie became owner, and she later sold it to her step-father, Robert Erb, who in turn sold it to Larry Harbst.
Then when Beavertown voted the town dry in the November 1981 General Election, Larry closed the Brass Rail just before 1982 began. Later, he and Mr. Fitzgerald, the owner of the also closed Beavertown Hotel, competed for the one distributorship license available for Beavertown, and Larry Harbst won out. While it is still, as of April 2009, called the Harbst Distributors, it is now owned by Dawn Miller.
Brief Summary
- 1845-1889 Oregon Hotel
- 1889-1919 Conway House
- 1919-1951 Winey/Rine Home
- 1951-1974 Main Street Hotel
- 1981-1982 Rooming House
- 1983-Present Harbst’s Distributorship
- Don I. Frymyer bought it in 1985 and sold it to Dawn Miller in December 2007.
The Fabulous Beavertown Opera House
In 1869 a group from Beavertown decided it was high time Beavertown have some culture. So they had constructed on Center Street a two story wood-frame building, with a stage, dressing rooms, orchestra pit, sloping floor with two aisles, a cloak room, alcove, and all other necessary items to stage opera, plays and vaudeville (which came later). On the second floor, there were meeting rooms for community organizations, and rehearsal halls, as well as storage for the stage props and costumes.
When the railroad came to Beavertown, many shows were able to come to Beavertown, and even Jerome Kern tried out some of his world famous operettas at the “Opera House”. In those days there was no electricity, and no central heating, so you can imagine the hall was used mainly in the warmer, more daylight intensive months. But people would keep their wraps on in the colder months, and other artificial lighting was used such as carbide lights and kerosene lamps. Of course, local band concerts were held, political rallies, various lectures, town meetings, and medicine shows and animal acts also filled the hall. It was simply the main draw in, and for, the surrounding inhabitants of Beavertown. Only churches had an equal level of support. In an era with no radio, television or moving pictures, this was the only non-religious public gathering place, and outside of home entertainment, the only amusement and entertainment center in the whole area.
To be continued
